The 2022 high school tennis season looks to feature a return to more of a normal schedule after the teams missed the 2020 season and then had a COVID-abbreviated slate a year ago. Spring has arrived and the one consistency for all teams is an enthusiasm to get outside and get to competing.
Plenty of talent will be featured on the courts for local teams, including the Lebanon boys looking to defend their state championship from a season ago. The Arado brothers, Mason and Nolan, lead a team for the Raiders which did get hit hard by graduation a year ago but which still hopes for another postseason run.
Both Hanover High teams look to be strong again after both had their 2021 seasons ended by Bedford in the postseason, the girls in the state championship match and the boys in the semifinals. Each team has reloaded and is ready for another go at the Bulldogs and the rest of the best teams in NHIAA Division I.
Longtime Woodstock girls coach Tom Hopewell has stepped aside from the helm for the Wasps. New co-coaches Joe DeFoor and Rob Parker will look to help an athletic, but inexperienced, team gel as this season goes on.
Coach: Liz Murray (8th year).
Last Year: 10-3, lost to Bedford in state championship match.
League: NHIAA Division I.
Returners: Seniors โ Eleanor van Aalst, Natalie Feyrer. Juniors โ Mackenzie Liu, Noura St. Hilaire, Jaclyn Hazen. Sophomore ยโ Shayna Rockmore.
Newcomers: Freshmen โ Campbell White, Sophia Costa, Rachel Rockmore, Alison Lee, Julia Lawe, Josie Dennis.
Analysis: Co-captains Eleanor van Aalst and Natalie Feyrer lead a deep Bears team featuring a good mix of returning players from last yearโs state finalist team and a strong group of freshmen looking to make a mark.
โOur goals are to develop a strong lineup and find good doubles partners. Iโm very excited to see what this team can do this spring,โ coach Liz Murray said.
Coach: Kate Godek (3rd year).
Last Year: 0-10.
League: VPA Division II.
Returners: Juniors โ Maggie Dumont, Silvia Hale, Bebhinn Knudsen, Anthem Phillip, Ceci Wendling.
Newcomers: Freshmen โ Jadeah Bruce, Nika DuMolin, Larkyn Moodie-Hamilton.
Analysis: It will be a year of growth while gaining experience for the Hurricanes, who do not have a senior on the roster. Hartford will be mixing in returning players with good experience along with several newcomers new to the sport.
โThis year the team will focus on rebuilding and growing our skills,โ coach Kate Godek said.
Coach: Brandon Feid (first year).
Returners: Senior โ Crisi Patel. Sophomores โ Aesha Soni, Adaa Karanwal.
Newcomers: Seniors โ Franky Busby, Zoe Martin. Juniors โ Vicki Ni, Keith Martinez.
Analysis: The Raiders will not have enough numbers for a full team but will play a schedule of local matches for the girls who are participating. All three of the returning players look strong so far in preseason play, with Adaa Karanwalโs offseason work in the sport paying dividends. Coach Brandon Feid is also the boys junior varsity coach.
โOur main goals will be to improve our skills each day while having fun and developing a love for the life-long sport of tennis,โ Feid said.
Coach: Gary Cullison.
Last Year: 1-9.
League: NHIAA Division III.
Returner: Senior โ Amaya Eitapence.
Newcomers: Sophomores โ Izabela Eitapence, Pantita Tansrisuwan, Kamdyn Aldrich, Morgan Tremblay.
Analysis: Returning senior Amaya Eitapence is the only player on the roster with experience playing tennis.
โThe girls are very enthusiastic and willing to learn, but weโre very inexperienced,โ coach Gary Cullison said.
Coaches: Joe DeFoor and Rob Parker (first year each).
Last Year: 6-6, lost in quarterfinals.
League: VPA Division II.
Returners: Seniors โ Zoe Wood, Meridian Joy-Piper, Kendall Taylor. Sophomores โ Sophia Nisimblat, Chloe Masillo, Hannah Watson, Celeste Belisle, Charlotte Nunan.
Newcomers: Sophomores โ Phoebe Anderson, Brooke Hecker.
Analysis: Longtime coach Tom Hopewell stepped aside after last season. Joe DeFoor and Rob Parker will be co-coaching this year with senior tri-captains Zoe Wood, Meridian Joy-Piper and Kendall Taylor leading a relatively inexperienced team. Work ethic and competitive drive are high throughout the roster as Woodstock looks to reload for another run towards the top of D-II tennis.
โThese young ladies will continuously improve throughout the season and the results should follow,โ co-coach Rob Parker said.
Coach: Jarrod Shaheen (8th year).
Last Year: 12-3, lost in semifinals to Bedford.
League: NHIAA Division I.
Returners: Seniors โ Charlie Birkmeyer, Kevin Pillsbury, Alex Rockmore, Evan Yang. Sophomore โ Zach Pearson.
Newcomers: Freshmen โ Sam Ames, Ian Holmes, Ming Liu, Pablo Martin-Asensio, Alex Orsino, Ryder Wilson.
Analysis: The Bears are led by a trio of four-year varsity stalwarts in Evan Yang, Alex Rockmore and Kevin Pillsbury. All three are seniors and will be looking to end their careers by advancing at least back to the championship match. A talented class of freshmen join the returning crew and should make Hanover a force to be reckoned with in D-I, as usual.
โItโs looking to be a fun season filled with some great tennis,โ coach Jarrod Shaheen said.
Coach: Kate Godek (3rd year).
Last Year: 0-12.
League: VPA Division I.
Returners: Seniors โ Ezra Avery, Ethan Michaels. Juniors โ Jacob Helms, Teddy LaFountaine, Nicholas Tsouknakis.
Newcomers: Senior โ Andre Damiani De Souza. Sophomore โ Ricardo Putnam-Pouliot. Freshmen โ Sebastian Fraser, Rowen Irvine, Jonah Libens-Mavodones, Owen Parker.
Analysis: The Hurricanes will be led by a solid group of returning players boosted by senior transfer Andre Damiani De Souza, originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
โWeโre looking to have a competitive 2022 season. Overall, the team is strong in both singles and doubles,โ coach Kate Godek said.
Coaches: Tammy Arado and Chad Arado (2nd year).
Last Year: 10-0, state champions.
League: NHIAA Division II.
Returners: Seniors โ Mason Arado, Seth Carl. Juniors โ Baden Schifferdecker, Finn Ericson. Sophomores โ Nolan Arado, Will Katz.
Newcomers: Senior โ Blake Boardman. Sophomore โ Matthew Neu. Freshmen โ Kyle Hines, Lavi Halwawala, Aidan Snow, Reeve Green, Lucas Graham.
Analysis: Brothers Mason and Nolan Arado return to lead the defending state-champion Raiders with hopes of defending their crown. Lebanon did lose eight seniors to graduation, but has been restocked with a good group of varsity newcomers including a big freshmen turnout.
โMason and Nolan being brothers and a force at 1-2 singles and in doubles strengthen the team greatly. Our goal is to defend the title and have fun doing it,โ Lebanon co-coach Tammy Arado said.
Coach: David Miles (8th year).
Last Year: 7-3, lost in quarterfinals to Stowe.
League: VPA Division I.
Returners: Seniors โ Nixon Malik, Cooper Dorsogna, Max Hambsch, Jake Singelais, Otto Nisimblat, Nate Satterfield, Kip Gaddis. Junior โ Reece Sheehan.
Newcomers: Senior โ Liam Harper. Sophomore โ Kaelin Lundberg.
Analysis: The Wasps are led by a senior class heavy on varsity experience. Nixon Malik, Cooper Dorsogna and sophomore Kaelin Lundberg figure to be a strong top three in the singles lineup and Woodstock should be able to compete with any team in the state.
Jake Singelais is a senior at Windsor but is continuing his traveling show by playing his second straight season at Woodstock due to the Yellowjackets not having a tennis program.
โIโm excited by our prospects,โ Wasps coach David Miles said. โMy biggest worry is what happens after this year, we have only two returnees for the 2023 season.โ